Research and development (R&D)

The Aeromedical Institute is engaged in applied research aimed at obtaining specific expertise and applying it to resolve current problems relating to health, selection of personnel, psychology, ergonomics, and performance diagnosis, and communication. In addition, quality assurance with scientific medical and psychological methods is part of the main tasks of the research we do.

Research projects: The development of visual acuity with increasing age; comparison of speed and reliability of the interpretation of flight data with head up display (flight data shown on the windscreen) or with conventional instruments; prospective validity of X-ray peculiarities in vertebrae photographs for aptitude assessment with respect to the development of malfunctions in the spinal chord of military pilots; language functions and hypoxia (oxygen deficiencies in tissues and organs); training effect of the 'HUD Train' programme in the interpretation of flight data with head up display or conventional instruments.

Scientific studies: Aeromedical risk assessment; requirement profile for military pilots according to the Fleishman Job Analysis Survey (method for establishing the requirements for certain vocational groups); health consequences of exposure to cosmic radiation for military pilots; medical classification system for establishing the aptitude of parascouts in the Swiss Armed Forces; the significance of training and fitness for the development of muscular and skeletal disorders of members of the Surveillance Wing; validity study of FVS system (pilot selection system to date through 'pre-flight training') versus SPHAIR system (freshly devised training system for the selection and training of pilots in Switzerland). See also www.sphair.ch .

Dissertations: Correlation of degree of fitness with the lipoid profiles of pilots and parascouts of the Swiss Armed Forces; validity of the criteria of the tools used to establish vocational aptitude in the sequential selection of Swiss Air Force pilots.

Research projects: influence of hypobaric hypoxia on the human sense of smell; G protection measures; Recognition and restoration of exceptional flight positions with the F/A 18: Head up display or conventional back-up instruments, what is better?

Case Reports: Acute status febrilis in an airline pilot; the bends in aviation; differential diagnosis of the bends; exanthema and diarrhoea in airline pilots; WPW syndrome in a jet pilot; care activities during flight accident of 25 May 2001.

Scientific studies: Validity study of the procedure for selecting armed forces General Staff course candidates; cabin air toxicity in the F/A-18; possible dangers of breathing pure oxygen for F/A-18 pilots - a bibliographic search; procedure, prevention and precautionary measures against simulator sickness; comfort problems with wearing Randolph aviation spectacles; the results of women tests; the personality profile in the 16 personality factors test for Swiss pilot candidates; analysis of AMI selection of RS 44/03 parascout candidates.

Licence essays: investigation of pilot selection system for 'pre-flight training' in 2000.

Some of these projects lead on to the development of independent products that are used for training air force flight personnel of the air force and in the civilian sector relating to the area of tension between the human factor, effectiveness and security.

HUD train - a programme for training recognition of flight position with the head up display system.